AP News Digest 3:20 a.m.

Here are the AP’s latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All times EDT. For up-to-the minute information on AP’s coverage, visit Coverage Plan at https://newsroom.ap.org.

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ONLY ON AP

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BIDEN-AP INTERVIEW — President Joe Biden says the American people are “really, really down” after a tumultuous two years with the coronavirus pandemic, volatility in the economy and now surging gasoline prices that are slamming family budgets. But he stressed that a recession was “not inevitable” and held out hope of giving the country a greater sense of confidence. By Josh Boak. SENT: 1,300 words, photo With BIDEN-AP INTERVIEW-TAKEAWAYS — Takeaways from AP interview: Biden on inflation, US psyche; BIDEN-AP INTERVIEW-TRANSCRIPT — The complete half-hour interview (both sent).

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TOP STORIES

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CAPITOL RIOT-INVESTIGATION — Donald Trump’s extraordinary effort to overturn his 2020 election defeat came into ever-clearer focus, with testimony describing his pressuring Vice President Mike Pence in vulgar private taunts and public entreaties to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s victory in the run-up to the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. By Lisa Mascaro and Mary Clare Jalonick. SENT: 1,190 words, photos, video. With CAPITOL RIOT-INVESTIGATION-TAKEAWAYS — Pence under pressure, then in danger. SENT: 1,320 words, photos.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — Four European leaders expressed their support for Ukraine while meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, vowing to back Kyiv’s candidacy to eventually join the European Union and offering more weapons to fend off Russia’s invasion. By David Keyton, John Leicester and Sylvie Corbet. SENT: 1,180 words, photos, video.

RANSOMWARE-TARGETING NATIONS — Costa Rica has been reeling from unprecedented ransomware attacks disrupting everyday life for the last two months. The situation is raising questions about the United States’ role in protecting friendly nations from cyberattacks at a time when Russian-based criminal gangs are targeting less developed countries. By Alan Suderman and Ben Fox. SENT: 1,060 words, photo.

CHINA-AIRCRAFT-CARRIER — Beijing launched a new-generation aircraft carrier, the first such ship to be both designed and built in China, in a milestone as it seeks to extend the range and power of its navy. The Type 003 carrier christened Fujian left its drydock at a shipyard outside Shanghai in the morning and tied up at a nearby pier, state media reports said. By David Rising and Ken Moritsugu. SENT: 1,270 words, photos.

YELLOWSTONE-NATIONAL PARK FLOODING — A gnawing uncertainty hung over the Yellowstone National Park gateway town of Gardiner this week following unprecedented flooding that shut down one of America’s most beloved natural attractions and swept away roads, bridges and homes. By Matthew Brown and Brian Melley. SENT: 1,080 words, photos.

ALABAMA-CHURCH-SHOOTING — A single gunman hasopened fire inside a suburban Alabama church, killing two people and wounding a third at a small group meeting before being taken into custody, authorities say. SENT: 530 words, photos.

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TRENDING

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FASHION-MARILYN MONROE DRESS — Ripley’s Believe It or Not! on Thursday denied claims that Kim Kardashian’s wearing of the iconic Marilyn Monroe “Happy Birthday” dress to the Met Gala left it with new damage. SENT: 600 words, photos.

HEAT WAVE-CATTLE DEATHS — Industry officials say thousands of cattle in feedlots in southwestern Kansas have died of heat stress due to soaring temperatures, high humidity and little wind in recent days. SENT: 530 words, photos.

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MORE ON RUSSIA-UKRAINE

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RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-SAVED-BY-SNAILS — The wartime disruption to supplies of grain and other crops from Ukraine that feed the world has captured global attention and sent food prices soaring. But the production of other, more niche foodstuffs has been hit as well. Before the Russian invasion sent Ukraine’s economy into a tailspin, Ukrainians were successfully producing snails, oysters, edible frogs, vegetable-based milks, craft beers, cheeses and other products for European markets. Farmer Olena Avramenko was living a quiet life with her snails, rearing them for export to Spain. When Russian soldiers occupied her village, she sheltered in her basement, cooking up meals of snails for hungry villagers. Now the Russian have left, and she says raising more snails and dreaming up new snail recipes is keeping her sane. SENT: 610 words, photos.

AUSTRALIA-UKRAINE — Australia’s new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he would take advice on whether to accept President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s invitation to visit Ukraine during an upcoming European trip. SENT: 270 words, photos.

HAWAII-SUPERYACHT-RUSSIA — A Russian-owned superyacht seized by the United States arrived in Honolulu Harbor on Thursday flying an American flag. SENT: 190 words photos.

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VIRUS OUTBREAK

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VIRUS-OUTBREAK-BIDEN — In an abrupt change of course, the White House is now declining to comment on the frequency of President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 testing regimen, even as it maintains that it would inform the public if he were to ever test positive for the coronavirus. SENT: 340 words, photo.

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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CONGRESS-GUNS — Democratic and Republican senators were at odds Thursday over how to keep firearms from dangerous people as bargainers struggled to finalize details of a gun violence compromise in time for their self-imposed deadline of holding votes in Congress next week. SENT: 750 words, photos.

SUPREME COURT-JUSTICES SECURITY — President Joe Biden signed a bill that will give around-the-clock security protection to the families of Supreme Court justices. The new law, which passed the House this week and the Senate last month, comes eight days after a man carrying a gun, knife and zip ties was arrested near Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s house after threatening to kill the justice. SENT: 240 words, photo.

ELECTION 2023-KENTUCKY-GOVERNOR — Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron won former President Donald Trump’s endorsement in his 2023 bid for governor, offering a momentum boost given the ex-president’s enduring popularity among Republican voters in the state. SENT: 450 words, photos.

HOMELAND SECURITY-EMPLOYEE MISCONDUCT — Employees accused of misconduct at the Department of Homeland Security could face more stringent penalties under an overhaul that follows complaints about the handling of internal discipline in the third largest U.S. government agency. SENT: 500 words, photos. BIDEN-SHIPPING-COSTS — President Joe Biden signed legislation Thursday meant to lower the cost of shipping goods across oceans. It’s a move the White House says will help ease logistical costs for retailers that have remained high since the start of the coronavirus pandemic and helped fuel record inflation. SENT: 360 words, photos.

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INTERNATIONAL

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WTO-MINISTERS-MEETINGS — World Trade Organization members have reached a string of deals and commitments aimed to limit overfishing, broaden production of COVID-19 vaccines in the developing world and reform a 27-year-old trade body that has been back on its heels in recent years. SENT: 400 words, photos.

PANAMA-PAPERS — A Panamanian judge acquitted 39 people in a money laundering case Thursday, including lawyers Jurgen Mossack and Ramón Fonseca, who were key figures in the Panama Papers case. SENT: 250 words.

ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS — Israeli forces shot dead three Palestinians and wounded eight others during a military operation in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin, the Palestinian Health Ministry says. The military said the troops traded fire with militants. SENT: 270 words.

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NATIONAL

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FREEDOM-RIDERS-VACATED-CONVICTIONS — Legendary civil rights leader Bayard Rustin and three other men who were sentenced to work on a chain gang in North Carolina after they launched the first of the “freedom rides” to challenge Jim Crow laws will have their sentences posthumously vacated, more than seven decades later. SENT: 540 words, photos.

TEXAS-SCHOOL-SHOOTING-INVESTIGATION — The chairman of a Texas legislative committee investigating the nation’s deadliest school shooting in a decade says that it’s unclear whether the small city of Uvalde’s local police department would testify before the panel voluntarily, raising more questions about when details will come out in a case where pressure is mounting for information to be released. SENT: 440 words, photos.

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HEALTH & SCIENCE

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BIRD-FLU — The bird flu outbreak that led to the deaths of more than 40 million chickens and turkeys in the U.S. this year and contributed to a spike in egg and meat prices appears to finally be waning, but experts caution the virus hasn’t disappeared and they worry another surge in cases is possible this fall. SENT: 830 words, photos.

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BUSINESS/ECONOMY

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FINANCIAL MARKETS — Asian stock markets were mostly lower after Wall Street fell on fears interest rate hikes will depress global economic activity. Tokyo, Seoul and Sydney fell. Shanghai and Hong Kong advanced. Oil prices edged lower but stayed above $115 per barrel. By Business Writer Joe McDonald. SENT: 480 words, photos.

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SPORTS

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BKN--NBA FINALS — The Golden State Warriors are NBA champions once again, topping the Boston Celtics 103-90 for their fourth title in the last eight seasons. Stephen Curry scored 34 points for the Warriors, who claimed the franchise’s seventh championship overall. By Kyle Hightower. SENT: 1,000 words, photos. With: BKN--NBA Finals-Celtics (sent).

GLF--US OPEN-DAY 1 — For one day at least, the U.S. Open was wide open. Five of the top six on the leaderboard played their way onto The Country Club course through qualifying. The other was four-time major winner Rory McIlroy, who slammed and tossed aside his clubs during the round but also made enough shots with them to remain just one stroke off the lead. By Jimmy Golen. UPCOMING: 770 words, photos by 4 a.m. With: GLF--US Open-Tarren; GLF--US Open-Notebook, GLF--US Open-Key Hole; GLF--US Open-Glance (sent).

SOC--WCUP-2026 HOST CITIES — Atlanta, Houston, Miami, Philadelphia and Seattle and Kansas City, Missouri, were the newcomers among the 11 U.S. sites picked to host games at the 2026 World Cup, while Baltimore, Cincinnati, Denver, Nashville, Tennessee, and Orlando, Florida, were left out. By Ronald Blum. SENT: 800 words, photos. With SOC--WCup-2026 Reaction (sent).

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HOW TO REACH US

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